Podcasting has allowed local radio stations to target a much larger, global audience. But Seattle’s “Puget Sound Public Radio” KUOW (94.9) is keeping its focus a lot closer to home. The station has embraced what it says is a hyper-local approach with podcasts specifically targeted to listeners in the Puget Sound region. The latest to launch is a new podcast guide to local arts and cultural events.
The new show is called Meet Me Here, which each week will give listeners a 15 to 20 minute rundown of recommendations for ways to enjoy the region’s arts and culture scene — from art exhibits to author appearances to pop culture conversations. Listeners will also get a peek behind the scenes, meeting local makers, artists, and nerds who are building and sustaining community every day in our region.
“Our goal is to co-create this podcast with listeners, giving voice to recommendations and insider tips of folks around this region, and chatting with people about what makes the Seattle area a vibrant place to live,” said Brendan Sweeney, Director of New Content and Innovation at KUOW. “As the name implies, we are aiming to put a lie to the idea of ‘the freeze.’”
The show’s three hosts will each have a different particular focus related to Seattle’s unique cultural scene. Jeannie Yandel will cover arts and culture events overall, especially stuff that’s free or inexpensive or doesn’t make a typical critic’s list. Katie Campbell will cover Seattle’s literary scene, including visiting authors on tour and local writers. And Dyer Oxley will cover pop culture and how it intersects with life in the region. Meet Me Here will publish new episodes every Wednesday.
Meet Me Here is the latest hyper-local podcast from KUOW, joining the foodie show Seattle Eats hosted by Seattle Times journalist Tan Vinh, the regional economic series Booming hosted by Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg, the Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenston-hosted Sound Politics current events series, and its daily news podcast Seattle Now.
KUOW says its growing suite of local podcasts is part of a broader initiative to bring more of the 63-year-old station’s audio journalism to digital spaces, meeting listeners where they are with high-quality local reporting and helping people feel more connected to our region.